Finland to ban entry to Russian tourists starting midnight

Helsinki: The Finnish government said Thursday it would significantly limit passenger traffic on Finland’s border with Russia, banning Russian citizens travelling with tourist visas from entering the Nordic country effective Friday.

“The decision in principle aims to completely prevent Russian tourism to Finland and the related transit through Finland,” Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said during a news conference.

The government justified its decision by saying that continued arrivals of Russian tourists in Finland is endangering the country’s international relations. It said it had discussed the issue with Ukraine’s leadership, among others, ahead of the decision.

Haavisto cited security concerns related to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the “illegal” referendums arranged by Russia and recent leaks in the Nord Stream pipelines as events that led to the decision.

Russian citizens can still enter Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometre land border with Russia, for family reasons, for study or work purposes. Also, Russian political dissidents may seek to enter the country for humanitarian purposes.

As of Sept. 1, Finland slashed the number of visas - including for tourism purposes - issued to Russian citizens to one-tenth of the typical number, a move seen as a show of solidarity with Ukraine.